Oil and Filter Change

There are many things you can do to keep your vehicle running smoothly and extend the life of your car, but one of the simplest tasks is to regularly have the oil and filter changed. This type of preventitive maintenance to your car will make the money you spend on your vehicle worth while. Jenkins and Wynne of Clarksville, TN offers more than just oil change and filter changes. They also check and fill low fluids and inspect areas of your car that tend to wear out without you knowing it. We want you to feel comfortable with your oil change and filter change. That is why we have both male and female service people to help Clarksville, Fort Campbell, and Hopkinsville area residents.

Why does my car need oil?

Your car's engine is a mechanical device made of many types of metal and alloys. These different metals rub together causing friction. Oil helps alleviate some of this friction and prevents the parts from locking up. The oil also helps cool the engine parts by transferring heat from the metal parts as well as holding the biproduct of the combustion engine so it doesn't build up in the vehicle engine compartments. When the oil coats the engine parts it prevents oxygen from reaching the metallic parts that are suseptible to rust.

What weight of oil does my engine need?

Oil comes in many different weights and grades. Most people have heard the term "10W-40". This refers to cold viscosity of the oil and the hot viscosity of the oil. In this example 10 would be the cold viscosity and 40 would be the hot viscosity. So a 10W-40 oil is one which behaves like a 10-rated single grade oil when cold, but doesn't thin any more than a 40-rated single grade oil when hot. The lower the 'winter' number (hence the 'W'), the easier the car's engine will turn over when starting it in cold climates. This can be confusing to people that are not properly trained to service vehicles, but the auto mechanics of Jenkins and Wynne that service vehicles will no the proper weight of oil to put in your car.

Should I put Synthetic oil or Regular oil in my car?

Most synthetic oils are drived from regular out of the ground oil. Scientists have formulated a process to extract the purest form of the oil and combine it with Polyalphaolefins, a man made polymer or lubricant. The purest forms of synthetic oils are biproducts of animal and vegetable fat rendered to make a lubricant by scientists. You can switch from synthetic oil to regular oil without adverse affects, but this decision is best left up to the professional mechanics of Jenkins and Wynne.

How often does my car need an oil change and filter change?

The frequency of oil and filter changes is determined by a few factors. The manufacturer of the vehicle will recommend the amount of miles between oil changes. This can be found in your vehicle owner's manual and differs greatly from one car to the next. The type of driver you are also affects the amount of time and mileage between changes. If you do a lot of stop and go driving or if you pull heavy loads you will need to have your oil and filter changed more frequently. The best rule of thumb is for older cars to have the oil and filter changed every 3000 to 5000 miles or 3 to 4 months, whichever comes first. For newer vehicles manufacturers have increased the mileage to 7500 miles or every 6 months. It is a good idea to have the mechanics of Jenkins and Wynne service your vehicle at least once to twice a year to allow them to notice any troubles you may be having before it becomes a problem. Most of these problems are diagnosed during normally scheduled oil and filter changes.